Opening Plenary Session (Tuesday, Oct. 20; 8:30am-10:00am). We look forward to seeing you at the Opening Plenary Session on the first morning of the conference. The program will include remarks by The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, ASA-CW, Chairperson of PIANC USA, as well as Major General Donald Jackson, USACE DCG-CEO, President of PIANC USA. The Conference Chair Mr. Steve Garbaciak will MC the program.
Keynote Speaker: John F. Tavolaro, USACE ret., will speak about “Dredging: Past Accomplishments and Future Challenges”. Mr. Tavolaro recently retired from the position of Deputy Chief, Operations Division, New York District after 37 years of service with the US Army Corps of Engineers. In this capacity he helped manage the District’s O&M Navigation, Regulatory, and Emergency Management Programs, which included dredging and maintenance of over 700 miles of federal navigation channels, 25 navigation structures, operation and maintenance of the Troy Lock & Dam and operation of a fleet of three large drift collection vessels, and approximately seven other bathymetric survey and support vessels. During his career with USACE he has been heavily involved with environmental issues concerning sediments, dredged material testing and evaluation, endangered species issues, surveying techniques, environmental restoration and cleanup in the aquatic environment and dredged material management. He has published approximately 17 papers, most dealing with various aspects of dredged material management, holds a Masters Degree in Geology, specializing in estuarine and coastal sedimentology, and is an AIPG Certified Professional Geologist. We look forward to hearing his perspective.
This year as part of the plenary session we also plan to honor Dr. Robert Engler, who passed away earlier this year. Many of you knew Bob well; he was currently serving on the PIANC USA Commission and was the Conference Chair of the last Dredging conference in San Diego in 2012. If you would like to contribute to this tribute, either though a fond memory, photo, etc, please send an email to pianc@usace.army.mil.
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